Khaleesi Fans, Rila Is Your Next Jewlery Obsession

Dana Bodourov has a way with the elements. Since graduating from NYC's Fashion Institute of Technology in 2012, Bodourov has created a fantastical, prehistoric world in the form of her budding jewelry line. Named after a Bulgarian mountain range, Rila offers gilded accessories—all with an old-world feel à la Game of Thrones.

The 25-year-old designer molds her rugged pieces after lava formations, fossils, and tribal objects from Papua New Guinea. She broke down her design process for us: "I'll take a found object from nature, and manipulate it in wax [and] experiment with different melted shapes." Bodourov noted, "This is also a really fun way of making things because it doesn't have to be perfect."

Photo: Danielle Terenzio

The result is a wholly unique collection fit for It girls like Alexa Chung and Leandra Medine. "My ideal girl is someone who is also a creative or someone who really appreciates handmade and one-of-a-kind objects...She probably lives downtown or in Brooklyn." She added, "I would like see cool girls around town wearing it." The designer's ultimate cool girl? The inimitable Jane Birkin.

For her latest lookbook, the South Beach native set sail. While Bodourov still adheres to her earthy influences, her Siren Sea spring 2014 collection has a strong oceanic presence. "I grew up on Miami Beach and would often collect shells, little sea creatures, and such on the beach," she noted. This inspired her to make a grown-up, sophisticated answer to "touristy shell jewelry."

For Bodourov, the novelty of her year-old business doesn't stop her from looking towards the future, as she someday plans to cater to a major market: the bridal biz. "I really would love to do wedding jewelry at some point," she said. "Making something for someone else to wear forever as an object of love would make me very happy." However, her custom rings would be rather "non-traditional," naturally.

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